Pune News: In January 2024, Pune city grappled with a staggering 1,496 hours of power outages, affecting over 2.2 million consumers, according to data provided by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).
The Pune circle encompasses Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and various rural areas within Pune district. It is further divided into distinct regions like Ganeshkhind, Rasta Peth, and Pune rural, each facing its share of power challenges.
Rasta Peth, covering a significant portion of Pune city, experienced 227 power failures, leaving approximately 786,017 consumers without electricity for 533.08 minutes (8.88 hours). Meanwhile, Ganeshkhind circle, serving industrial hubs like Bhosari and Pimpri, encountered 164 instances of power outages, affecting around 435,532 consumers for 368.66 minutes (6.14 hours).
In the rural parts of Pune city, nearly 296 power interruptions occurred, plunging approximately 171,721 consumers into darkness for 593.75 minutes (9.89 hours).
Despite regulations mandating the monthly publication of reliability indices by MSEDCL, data for the past three months following January 2024 has been conspicuously absent from the company’s website, drawing criticism from civic activists and consumers alike.
Vivek Velankar, a civic activist, raised concerns about MSEDCL’s responsiveness, noting that data is often released only in response to complaints, suggesting a reluctance to address underlying issues.
Responding to these concerns, Rajendra Pawar, the chief superintendent engineer of MSEDCL for Pune circle, assured that the reliability index data would be promptly uploaded, typically in quarterly intervals.
Statewide, Maharashtra witnessed a staggering 13,001 power outages in January 2024, affecting an estimated half a crore consumers and resulting in a collective blackout period of 23,434 hours.
As Pune grapples with persistent power challenges, consumers hope for improved transparency and proactive measures from MSEDCL to ensure reliable electricity supply in the future.
